Deserving
by Sidney Blackwell
Summary: Season 2 is over and the case is re-united. An attraction growing under the surface of a friendship surfaces and a selfish girls greed causes her to loose the one she loves. DUNCANxGWEN, if you don't like it, don't read it.


I do not own anything TDI or TDA or, obviously, things would be very, VERY different.

Here is a warning in advance to all of those who do not like a Gwen/Duncan paring. STOP READING RIGHT NOW! There is nothing in this fiction that will bring you happiness and if you post a flame (A.K.A. Something hateful with no technical feedback and no constructive merit), I will report you so quickly your head will spin. You've been warned.

That said, I like reviews and may make a sequel if one is requested. Please read and enjoy.

**--- ****DESERVING ---**

Gwen paced nervously in her hotel room. It was fifteen minutes until show time. Chris's season finale cast party that is. She was excited for, whom she perceived to be her 'former' friend, Duncan. He had won the cool million in a neck and neck race against Justin.

She paused in front of the mirror and critically examined herself for the hundredth time. She wore a halter style black silk dress, which emphasized her slender form perfectly. Its length was nearly to the floor, and the slit up the left leg nearly to her hip. She had elected not to change her footwear, but had chosen to add strapped bracer-like leather coverings over her forearms. Her hair now touched her shoulders and had a slight layering to it, a result of four months of painful growth. Her now lengthier locks retained their black and blue coloring. Her lips were blue, her eye make-up a smoky black against her alabaster skin.

_Harder for EVERYONE to hate me if I at least look good, right?_

Having not seen any of the other cast mates since that horrible after show, Gwen's stomach turned in knots. She was certain, outside of possible DJ and Bridget, that she didn't have a friend left amongst them. Sure, Trent had forgiven her, but that made no promise of friendship. She didn't know how she was going to face LeShawna. She certainly didn't have any friends left on her team or the opposing, let alone in the stands.

There was a knock at her door causing her go jump like a frightened bunny.

"Gwen, party started five minutes ago, your late." Chris's unimpressed voice came from the other side of the door.

"I… um… just a minute!"

She must have lost track of time thinking about the others, dreading seeing them. Rushing over to the door, she swung it open.

"Now, Gwen, you…" Chris paused once he had opened his eyes and seen her. "Wow, huh-hu, this is going to be a very interesting night." He chuckled.

Chris, wearing his tux, would have almost passed for a gentleman as he offered his arm to her. After a weary look, she accepted his arm and they made their way to the hall.

Upon arriving, two well-dressed door attendants opened the large wooden doors to a room filled with chatter and music. It appears no one had noticed that Gwen was not there, though more than a few noticed her arrival.

"Well, I have a surprise for everyone that I have to get set up, so, excuse me." Chris said, shoving her into the room, expecting, full well, to be sending to her doom.

She felt eyes on her as she stood uncomfortably by the door. She looked about the room and tried her best to meet the gaze of the eyes upon her, but failed when she found the person with whom she desired to speak with the most. He was there, hair as black as the suit he was wearing, a smug expression as Katie and Sadie, each clad in frilly pink dresses, hung from either arm.

Sighing dishearten, she hung her head and sunk back into the darkest corner of the room.

---D---

"And then, we can set aside ten thousand for…"

Duncan wasn't really listening to his girlfriends plans for HIS winnings. He was, however, checking out how hot she looked in her tight, white dress. The dress crossed over only one shoulder, clung to her very shapely figure and ended abruptly, six inches above her knee.

Just as he was admiring her lengthy tanned legs, imagining things he would do between them, when he felt a cool breeze as the doors swung open. He looked up to see who it was. Immediately, he felt as if the wind had been knocked out of him as he drank in the sight of her. Her long slender form, clad in a very sexy black dress save for one leg peeking out from behind a very long slit up the left side of her dress. For the first time, he found foundation in Courtney's accusations and worries of his relationship with this other woman

He watched as her apprehensive expression fell into one of what he could only place as resigned heartbreak as she slunk back into a corner. He followed where her gaze had last been and found the source, his fists bawling in anger.

"Yeah, sure, whatever." He said, not taking his eyes from his friend. "I have something I need to take care of, why don't you go get yourself some punch princess?"

"I…"

He gave her a quick peck on the lips, causing her to smile.

"Sure." And with that she was off.

Swiftly, Duncan made his way through the crowded room to the darkest most secluded corner, which was actually quite dark. There, he found Gwen. Her back and arms against the wall, head down. He watched her for a moment and saw her shoulders shutter. She was crying.

"Hey, Sunshine, I was wondering when you'd show up." He said, casually.

She looked up at him, sniffling. He watched her eyes move over him, his ego inflating with her reaction.

"Hey, Duncan, you look great." She said, wiping away a streak of black mascara that had run. "Very stud like." She said, managing a small smirk for him.

"Oh, this old thing?" He said, looking down at his very expensive tux.

She giggled, light returning to her eyes and a smile to her face.

"Congratulations, Duncan, but I am surprised you are even talking to me, after what I pulled…"

"Hey, it wasn't your fault. You're douche bag boyfriend put you in an awkward position, you made the best of it." He looked at her thoughtfully. "Though I didn't know you had that much of a spine. That's pretty sexy."

She blushed.

"Still… I'm surprised you're ALLOWED to talk to me… I assumed that Courtney made a big fuss about our friendship…"

"Yeah, that… Princess is going to have to learn that she can't pick my friends for me."

"Does that mean were still friends?"

"Does 'Aliens Ate My Baby 9' come out in 2 weeks?"

"Awe! Thanks, Duncan!" Gwen exclaimed hugging him.

Shocked for a second, he didn't react. He felt the entire length of her pressed to the front of him, her breath on his neck, her sweet scent filling his lungs. Regaining his senses, he wrapped his arms around her giving her a squeeze, finding that the back of her dress didn't start until her waist, her soft skin under his fingers.

A chill running up his spine, he dropped his hands to her waist and stepped back, then placed his hands in his pockets.

_What in the hell was that!_ His mind raced with his body's reaction to her proximity.

He watched her eyes travel back to Trent, who was glaring death at the two of them, all the while Katie and Sadie clung to him, chattering. He heard Gwen sigh in despair as Trent leaned in and kissed each girl on the cheek.

---G---

A slow song came on overhead as she stood there with her regained best, and possibly only, friend. They watched as everyone began to pair off and dance, save Geoff and Bridget who were too busy having a make-up make-out session by the punch bowl.

"Eh-hem." She heard Duncan clear his throat, regaining her attention.

He had his hand extended to her, which she accepted.

"Won't a certain princess be furious?"

"Ah, what she doesn't know won't kill me." He said flashing her a suggestive smirk. "Besides, I think you need to get your mind off someone."

"Oh, so I'm a charity case now, am I?" She asked light heartedly.

"Well, wasn't going to say anything, but…" He said, teasing her.

As he put his arms around her waist, she felt something strange inside her chest. The small attraction she had once felt for him flaring into something dangerously larger as she gazed into his sky blue eyes. Unintentionally, she batted her large dark eyes at him, a small blush crossing her pale cheeks, before resting her head against his shoulder.

---D---

He prayed that she didn't feel his erection as she pressed her body tightly against his as they swayed to the music, but he doubted very much that she could miss it. It throbbed mercilessly as his fingers traced over the delicate skin at the small of her back.

He breathed in deeply as he began to trace small light circles on her back with his fingertips. He felt her shiver, pressing herself more firmly against him, her exposed thigh pressing against what he was hoping to hide. If she noticed, she didn't mind. His eyes closed as he suppressed the urge to moan as she accidentally, and unconsciously stimulated him through three layers of fabric.

Her breath was against his neck, then across his ear, sending a shiver down his spine. He could no longer suppress his pleasure as she whispered his name in his ear, her lips lightly brushing against the shell. Courtney hadn't aroused him this much in the nude, much less fully clothed in a crowded room. A small moan escaped his lips, reaching her ear.

_This is so wrong... After all this time telling Courtney we're just friends… COURTNEY!_

"Duncan, Courtney is looking for you." Gwen was whispering in his ear as she pulled back to look in his eyes as he gazed down into hers. Her expression was glazed, much as he expected his to be.

"Huh?" His mind was too slow to follow her excited words. She ground her thigh against him with more confidence causing him to suck a pleasured breath through clenched teeth.

"Your girlfriend." She said, pulling from his grip, which he begrudgingly relinquished.

_Girl…_

The gears of his mind slowly moved back into motion. His eyes widened with realization of what he had just been doing. He looked to Gwen, who was already leaning back against the wall, a guilty blush over her cheeks as she refused to meet his gaze.

"Duncan, there you are!" Courtney exclaimed happily. He watched as her eyes shifted from him to Gwen.

"Oh, you." She said irritated.

"Hi, Courtney…" Gwen said, leveling her gaze to meet Courtney's.

"Hey, Princess." Duncan said, wrapping an arm around Courtney, and kissing her on the lips, hoping to eliminate any insecurity through the direct display of affection as well as to quash the attraction to the other woman, which was growing at a feverish rate.

When he pulled back, he watched as Courtney sent Gwen a smug look. He sent her an apologetic one.

"Well, three's a crowd, nice seeing you two again." Gwen said, walking away.

Duncan couldn't help but follow her retreat with his eyes, taking in the back of her as he had the front. Once she was out of sight, he returned his attention to Courtney.

"See, Princess, nothing to worry about."

"Well, I guess so…" Courtney said, smiling up at him.

The guilt began to gnaw at his insides.

_It's not like I kissed her or anything, we just brushed against each other when we were dancing… Right? I don't like Gwen that way, I love my Princess…_

But did he? He found himself becoming more annoyed with her every time she spoke of plans for HIS money, or about how he needed to clean up his act for the sake of HER reputation, or this he needed to change this, or he was doing that wrong. He was, beyond a doubt, still physically attracted to her, but could he take her condescension and jealousy?

His mind drifted back to Gwen. He had always thought she was 'hot', but now… He had only ever felt this way about Gwen once before, the night they had run everyone's underwear up the flagpole. They had wrestled, him landing on top of her. They had, momentarily, gazed into each others eyes, forgetting everything but the moment they were in. He had wanted to kiss her then, before reality had set back in.

He thought back harder. No, it had started before then. It must have been at the beginning of the season, when they had found they had so much in common. He had previously written his feeling of jealousy off as wanting to keep his friend to himself, but maybe there was more to his breaking Trent and Gwen up.

He was so confused.

"DUNCAN!" Courtney snapped.

"What!" He snapped back.

"Aren't you going to dance with me?"

"Oh, uh… sure." He said, placing his hands on her waist, keeping her a forearms length away.

---G---

_What was I thinking! What was I doing!_

Gwen raked her fingers back into her hair as she paced back and forth in the women's rest room.

_I __do NOT like Duncan that way! We're just friends! So why was I practically throwing myself at him!_

She thought back over their friendship. Sure, he had that bad boy thing going on, and liked the same stuff she liked, and he had a soft side hidden under that rugged exterior…

_Stop! Are you trying to convi__nce yourself you like him or that you don't!_

She thought back to the night they had run everyone's underwear up the flagpole. They had wrestled and he had tackled her to the ground. She remembered laying beneath him, gazing up into he eyes. She remembered the tightness in her chest, and a deep desire for him to kiss her before the reality of the situation set in and he climbed off her.

After that, she has often found herself thinking of him, waking from dreams of an alternative ending to that night. She had chalked it up to loneliness and the fact that he was the last male with whom she had had that intimate a contact. But had she been wrong?

Checking her face in the mirror once more, she straightened her hair and dress. Sighing, she hung her head and returned to the hall, guilt devouring her insides over her less-than-innocent behavior.

"Hey, Gwen!"

"Oh. Hey. Trent." She said, managing a weak smile for him as Katie and Sadie both started clamoring with each other over how evil Gwen was.

"Well, I heard she eat's kittens!"

"Well, I heard that she sacrifices them to an evil God!"

_No, ladies, but I may get carried away with your boyfriend__, s_he bullied herself.

Sighing, Gwen turned to walk away, when Trent caught her elbow.

"Hey, we haven't really talked since the aftermath show… How have you been?" He asked, his soft voice shutting out the argument between the supposed two best friends.

"I've been alright." She said, rather unconvincingly. "You seem to be doing really well." She forced a smile.

"Oh, uh, yeah. Hey, you want to dance?"

"Uh, sure, why not." This time her smile, though unsure, was genuine.

Their dance was awkward and stiff. She wasn't sure what the boundaries were, whether or not he was more than friends with Katie and or Sadie and if he was only asking her to dance out of pity, much like Duncan had. Her heart began to ache all over again as she hung her head.

She felt the gentle touch of his fingers under her chin as he lifted her face.

"Why so sad, beautiful?"

"Well, I…" She started, but was quickly interrupted.

---D---

He couldn't help but see her re-enter the hall, stunning him almost as badly as her first appearance. Courtney was hanging on his arm while correcting Lindsay for saying or doing something or other of absolutely no importance. He really didn't care.

He watched as Trent intercepted Gwen, an uncomfortable feeling settling in his gut as he watched Trent placed his hands on her waist and pulled her into a slow swaying dance. She looked very uncomfortable herself.

He watched as Trent put his fingers under her chin causing something in him snapped.

"Excuse me for a minute." He said, stepping out from between the two girls who were to busy arguing to really notice, he covered the distance between himself and the awkward pair in no time.

"Hey, Elvis, mind if I cut in?" He asked, a sly flirtation look cast at Gwen as he grabbed her arm and spun her into his chest.

She looked up at him. There was something in her eyes that he could not place, but he liked it. He felt her step back to leave a respectable distance between them, but he wouldn't allow it. His hands on her hips, he roll hers back and forth over his, her back arching, her hands over his, her head tilted back, exposing her long slender neck. He spun her around and drew her back to him, her back now pressed to his front, their hands locked, arms crossed over her front as saucy Latin music began to play.

He felt her begin to sway her hips against his as those around the trio backed away from the floor. He began to sweat as her perfect bottom ground against him. He spun her outward. Her free arm, extending outward for less than a split second, was instantly snatched by Trent. They tugged back and forth on her for a few seconds to the beat of the music before he relinquished her arm for fear of breaking it.

Trent held her at a more respectable distance, their style more salsa than rumba. His arms held her arms as they twisted around each other, before Duncan put his hands back on her waist and lifted her away, once again, pulling her so close their wasn't enough room to pass a sheet of paper between them. He spun her, he dipped her, bringing his face so close to her neck that his lips brushed against her skin as he moved down, his face between her breast before pulling back.

He could hear the others cheering, but that didn't matter. Right now, all that mattered was keeping his friend from making a mistake, all that mattered was keeping her out of HIS arms.

On a spin, Trent snatched her back again. This time he was far bolder, pressing his body against Gwen, who looked uncomfortable. Duncan emitted a low growl, fury on his face, as he grasped Gwen's upper arm, while Trent grasped her forearm of the other. Again, they tugged back and forth.

Gwen spun wildly into Duncan's arms as Trent's grip slipped from hers. He closed his arms tightly around her as if to capture her, her hands on his shoulders as she looked into his eyes, her exposed leg wrapped around his, their faces growing closer together, when the music abruptly ended.

His heart was pounding in his chest, his lips less than an inch from hers. There was no mistake, there was a look of longing in her eyes which caused a triumphant grin to cross his face.

The cheering of the others couldn't bring him out of the spell he was under.

"DUNCAN!!!"

The magic was over as they sprung apart. The crowd went silent as Courtney stomped onto the dance floor. She got right up in Duncan's face as he looked down at her finger, pointed right at his nose, with wide eyes.

"WHAT THE HELL!" She screamed.

"C-C-C-Courtney, we're just fr…"

"FRIENDS? FRIENDS don't dance like THAT! FRIENDS don't almost KISS on the dance floor."

"Courtney, stop, please!" Duncan heard Gwen cry.

---G---

She couldn't take any more. This was her fault, she had lost control of herself again.

"Courtney, stop, please!" Gwen said stepping forward. One hand to her chest, tears in her eyes. "This is all my fault."

"Oh, now you are going to tell me that you are 'just friends', right?" Courtney snapped, turning to glare at her, her finger still pointed in her boyfriends face.

"No, I'm not…" The crowd gasped. She watched Duncan's expression become more shocked, if that was possible, "…because we aren't even that anymore." Her tears now over flowed and spilt down her cheeks as she looked Duncan in the eyes. She watched his expression turn from shocked to hurt before she turned and ran from the room.

"Gwen, wait!" She heard someone call after her, but not even a pack of wild bores could drag her back into that room.

She was about to push the door to the woman's rest room, when she felt a strong grip on her arm. She was pulled into a tight embrace against a tuxedo-clad chest. She sobbed gently and felt a finger under her chin as her face was gently tilted upward.

She looked up, heart breaking to find Trent. That was when she knew that she had made the right decision. She had hoped for Duncan, which told her that she needed to end their friendship before she got in the way of his relationship with his princess.

"Did you really mean what you said back there, about not being Duncan's friend anymore?" He asked softly, gazing into her eyes.

"Yeah…" She said, dropping her face again.

"Oh, Gwen!" Trent cried happily, crushing her against him.

Before she knew what was happening, Trent was desperately pressing his lips against hers. She was in complete and utter shock. She had just lost her best friend and now, her ex, who she had once thought she desperately wanted back, was kissing her and she felt nothing but despair.

"Not now, Trent." She said, pushing him away. Another sob wracked her body as she ran into the ladies room and locked the door behind her.

---D---

He felt like someone had just crushed his chest in with a sledge-hammer.

_Not even friends?_

He looked at the sorrow in her eyes. This wasn't what she wanted and it sure as hell wasn't what he wanted.

"Gwen, wait!" He called after her. He was about to give chase when Courtney stepped in the way.

"See, delinquent, she doesn't want to play any more!"

He felt tears begin to sting his eyes, but refused to give in. He had been dumped by his best friend.

"Oh ho ho, wow!" Chris chuckled, stepping into the ring. "Now, THAT is going to boost ratings!"

Duncan just glared at him.

"…but, not as much as this. Sorry, Duncan, but your day is about to get eh-lot worse." Chris said, with unsuppressed pleasure.

Flipping out the "Black Rule Book of Courtney's Rules", Chris began to read.

"Pursuant to the wishes of the Contestant, should the Contestant not win the One Million Dollar prize at the end of the regular season, a free for all hunt will be held for all Contestants of the Total Drama Action contest. Winner of said free for all will be deemed the final winner of the contest and the One Million Dollars."

"WHAT!" Duncan cried, glaring at his girlfriend. "Oh, Princess, you've gone too far." He ground out through teeth clinched so tightly they could have cracked a safe.

"You know what, Duncan! I was going to waive that clause, but now, it's on!"

She had never looked ugly to him before that moment. Rage had once again contorted her face into an ugly twisted mess, but it was more the malice behind her actions that had changed his view of her. He had once had every intention of sharing some of his winnings with her, maybe not as much as she would have liked, but still…

"The search starts now. The briefcase of money is somewhere on the studio lot. Have at it ladies and gentlemen."

Duncan watched as everyone scrambled off to find HIS prize money. Disheartened, he began his search as well.

---G---

"Come on, girl, I know you are in there!"

"What do you want, LeShawna!" Gwen's voice was teary.

"You mean besides to use the bathroom?" LeShawna asked, annoyed. "That witch, Courtney, put a clause in to have a free for all hunt for the money if she didn't win."

"WHAT?"

Gwen stood and unlocked the door, allowing LeShawna in.

"Please tell me she didn't go through with it." Gwen moaned.

"She sure did."

"Oh! Poor Duncan!"

"Tell me about it! What is going on with you two!" LeShawna asked, arching an eyebrow.

"Absolutely nothing. At least, absolutely nothing now." Gwen said burying her face in her hands.

"What do you mean?"

"Well, I… I don't know. We were dancing and then we got really close, and then I started feeling things I shouldn't feel for a friend… Then I came in here to think… Then I came back out and danced with Trent, and well, you saw the rest…"

"I must admit, that did look a little less than innocent out there…"

"I know! I've caused so much trouble for him! There is now way he would still want to be my friend… and… I don't think I want to be JUST his friend anymore."

"GIRL!"

"I know! He loves Courtney. That's why I can't be his friend anymore."

"Well, I can't tell you what to do, but what I can do is tell you what I saw out there. What I saw wasn't just one sided, he looked pretty in to you too." LeShawna replied, her sure-of-herself tone coming across full and strong.

"You think so?" Gwen asked, hopefully, a little light returning to her eyes.

"Definitely, but, you are right, he is with Courtney."

"Yeah." Gwen sighed. "Oh, and Trent kissed me."

"What!"

"Yeah, after I ran out of there, he stopped me and asked me if I meant what I said about not being friends with Duncan anymore. When I said yes, he kissed me."

"Oh, this is MESSED UP!"

"I know! I feel like the worst person ever!"

"This is NOT all your fault. Duncan is a big boy and so is Trent."

The girls sat in silence for a moment while Gwen attempted to fix her make-up.

"So, the money is up for grabs?"

"Looks like?"

"Then why are you in here with me?"

"Because you're my girl! And Harold is out there looking for us."

"Well, why don't you go join Harold, I think I might try to help Duncan, even if we never speak again. It's my fault Courtney went through with this."

LeShawna hugged Gwen tightly.

"Alright, girl, but I am playing to win."

"Okay, good luck." Gwen replied, cracking a smile.

With that, the girls split up, each running in opposite directions.

---D---

Duncan was on the run, briefcase in hand. He had a hunch that had turned out to be right, the case had been hidden in the trunk of Chris's car. He had picked the lock and retrieved the money not half an hour into the hunt.

Unfortunately, he hadn't planned on Courtney tailing him and she was now hot on his heels as he ran up the steep slope of the hill they had raced their go-carts down on their reunion.

_This is the hill I caught Gwen on…_

He gave his head a shake. He needed to stay focused.

"You're never going to catch me running in those high heels Princess!" He yelled, looking back over his shoulder, chuckling at her rage. He watched her trip as her high heel broke, she tumbled into the mud, her white dress now ruined. For an instant he thought of helping her up, but remembered the end of last season, when she had abandoned him… after he had wrestled an alligator for her…

He looked forward again, running at full speed, just in time to trip over a rock and go flying over the edge of the cliff. Luckily, he was able to snag a root, which had grown out of the side of the rocky edifice, the money case caught on another root just to his left.

"Oh crap." He said, hanging from the ever-weakening root.

"Duncan!" Feminine hands wrapped tightly around his wrists as he wrapped his hands around his rescuers.

"Gwen?"

"Yeah, you big klutz." She smiled down at him.

Just then, to their left, Courtney let out a triumphant cackle as she grabbed the case.

"Courtney, give me a hand!" Gwen called.

"Huh! No way! You two deserve each other!" She yelled as she headed back down the hill, full speed.

Duncan watched as Gwen's face contorted with effort. She pulled with all her might and finally, pulled him up. She toppled backwards and he forwards, landing on top of her, his full weight pressed to her. Carefully, his pushed himself up just high enough to look into her eyes.

"You gave up the million bucks for me…"

"Yep." She said, lamely, rolling her eyes.

"Why?"

"Because… we're frie…"

He didn't want to hear it. He didn't want to ever hear her call him her friend again. Looking into her eyes, his heart pounding, he closed the gap between them, pressing his lips firmly to hers. At first she didn't kiss back, but then, after a moment, he felt her lips begin to move against his, her hands working at the back of his neck.

Testing his luck, he nudged her legs open to settle between them, the growing bulge in his pants pressing against the apex of her legs. She pulled her head back out of the kiss and arched her back, pressing her chest more firmly to his, a gasp escaping from between blue lips.

"Do you have any idea how long I've wanted…" Gwen panted, but his mouth was over hers again.

After an intense fifteen minute make out session, he pulled back and looked into her eyes.

"So, do you think she really meant to give us her blessing?" Gwen asked, referring to Courtney's earlier statement.

"Who cares?" He said, kissing her once more, before climbing to his feet, offering her his hand.

"Ah!" Agony shot all the way up his leg as he rested the weight on his right ankle.

"What's wrong?" Gwen asked, scrambling to her feet.

"I broke my damn ankle, again!"

Gwen moved to his injured side and slid under his arm.

"Come on, it's a long walk back to the studio." She said, smiling up at him.

The walk wasn't so bad with her supporting the weight of his injured ankle. They didn't talk the entire way, each settling for smiles and glances.

When the entered back into the hall, they found Courtney on stage with Chris, cameras all around.

"Well, Courtney, you won the million bucks." Chris said. "How does it feel?"

"It feels great!" She cried, holding the case above her head.

She was so caught up in everything that she didn't notice the small team of lawyers approach. The tallest of the lot removed the case from her hands, causing her to turn to them angrily.

"What is all this about, Michael!" She cried, outraged.

"Our fee, Miss."

Duncan just started to chuckle.

"W-w-What?"

"All of the extras you requested to have included for yourself, the catered meals, the immunity for the first round of eliminations, the private bathroom, all took extra time. Our firm incurred extra costs for such extravagances."

"Well! How much!"

Michael then opened the case and with drew a crisp twenty-dollar bill.

"Oh, well if that's all." Courtney said, relieved, until he handed her the twenty and walked off with the case.

"What! No way! That's it! I'm SO calling my la…" She stopped herself before she realized what she was going to say.

Duncan looked down at Gwen, who was still supporting his weight. She smiled back up at him.

"Wow, I bet you're glad that's over. That girl spends more on lawyers than Elton John does on velour suits!" Gwen joked.

"Yeah… Hey, want to go see that new horror flick?"

"I'd love to."

They turned to leave together when he heard a voice yelling his name.

"Duncan, Duncan wait! Where are you going?" Courtney asked, running up to him, glaring at Gwen.

"Me and the "girl I deserve" are going to a movie."

"Wait, Duncan, I didn't mean it, it was a heat of the moment thing."

"Yep, you got caught in it Princess, and now you're all burned up. I, for one, never want to see you again."

"Well, isn't that too bad for you then, Duncan…" Chris said, stepping in to the conversation. "Because we are about to start filming season 3…"

"What, no way! I didn't agree to…"

"Ah, ah, ah. The FINE print." Chris reminded him, holding up a copy of his contract.

Duncan rolled his eyes. He felt Gwen sigh beside him as she tightened her arm around his waist.

"Great! This time I'll win that million bucks with out any lawyers!" Courtney cried.

Just then, out of no-where, Heather, armed with a cordless electric razor, jumped on top of Courtney, laughing manically.

"I'm not doing another season bald!" She cried.

Everyone was too shocked to do anything, and finally, when Heather stood up, she had fist fulls of Courtney's hair.

"Oh. My. God." Gwen said.

Slowly, dazed, Courtney stood up, and everyone gasped. Heather hadn't left a single hair on her head. They watched as she reached up and felt about her head to see what everyone was staring at, then she looked to Heather, who was wearing a grin to rival the Joker.

"YOU SHAVED MY HEAD?" Courtney screamed at her.

Heather could only laugh and ran off, Courtney hot on her heels.

"Wow!" Chris chuckled. "This is going to be a really interesting season."

"Well?" Gwen said looking up at him.

"Well, let's enjoy one night before we have to go back to the circus." He leaned in and kissed her softly on the lips.


End file.
